Valve for internal-combustion engines and means for operating the same



Nov. 23,1926. 1,608,020

L. G. GRACE PERATING THE; SAME VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES ANDMEANS FOR 0 Filed Nov. 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 23 1926. 1,608,020

' T L. G. GRACE v VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND MEANS FOROPERATING THE SAME Filed Nov. 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov; 23,1926.

UNITED STATES. OFFICE.

LAWRENCE eoanon omen, or wnrmmo'ron, new ammo.

VALVE ron mrmn-coimusrrou Enemies aim sum;

mus FOR ornrwrmo rm:

Application filed November I, 1885, Serial No. 66,904, "and in Newzealand larch 11, 1926.

My invention relates'to valve and valve mechanism for internalcombustion engines,

and particularly to'that type of valve in which a reciprocating pistonvalve is used to control both the inlet to and exhaust from thecombustion chamber.

Lubrication of the valve parts proved a diificult problem in slide valve engines and the object of the present invention is to overcome thisand the usual objections of rotary and reciprocating valves.

According to the present invention, the

reciprocating piston valve works in a valve cylinder adjacent to theengine cylinder, communication being. made between the valve cylinderand the engine chamber by an' opening or openings, such valve beingadapted partially to rotate during its strokes so that the combinedmovement will enable the inlet and exhaust openings into the valvecylinder to be alternately opened and closed to the combustion chamberin the engine cylinder, suchopening and closing being arranged tosynchronize with the induction and exhaust strokes of. the piston. Thevalve may be reciprocated and partially rotated by such means as a crankSet to the required angle to give the required rotation,

such crank being connected by a connectin rod universally jointed bothto the era and to the piston valve, the crank being rotated by half-timegearing from the main crank shaft.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein v Figure 1, is across sectional view through a onecylinder engine havin my invention appliedthereto, the piston eing shownat the beginning of the induction stroke.

Figure 2, is a sectional plan on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3, is piston valve.

Figure 4, is a perspective view of a detail.

Figure 5, is a lan of a crank for operating the piston va ve.

Figure 6, is a diagram similar to Figure 1, showing the engine piston atthe 'end of its induction stroke.

Figure a cross section through the 7, is a similar view showing thepiston at the end of its compression stroke.

has always Figure 8, is a sectional plan on line 8-8, Fi ure 7.

and 7 showing the piston near the en of its firing stroke.

Figure 10, 10-10, Figure 9.

According to the drawings, the engine cylinder 1 containing the piston 2has arranged alongside thereof a valve cylinder 3 connected by a port 4to the c linder 1. A piston valve 5 is contained in tlic valve cylinder3 and this valve contains an inlet port. 6 extending partially aroundthe piston valve, as shown in Figure 2. This inlet port is adapted toregister withthe port 4. Above the inlet port an exhausting port 7 is located. The valve has the usual piston rings 8 thereon, as show Thepiston valve is reciprocated by a crank 10 connected by a connectin rod11, such crank being rotated by a half passing over gear wheels13 and 14so as to rotate in the same direction as the main crank 15. The crankpin of the crank 10 in this instance is shown set at an angle of 45degrees from the horizontal, the connectin rod 11 being journall'ed fromthe crank y a universal oint formed of a block formed of two halves 16(Fig. 4), each con taining two semi-circular recesses 17 which, when theparts are bolted together by bolts passing through the holes 18 formbearings for the pins 19 of the fork 20 (Fig. 3) of the connecting rod11. The other end of the rod 11 is connected to the valve 5 b auniversal joint 21 of ordinary type. he angle of the crank pin 10 willcause the is ton valve to rotate through an angle oFQO degrees, duringone half revolution, and to be rotated degrees in the opposite directionduring the remainder of the revolution. An inlet port 22 (Fig. 2), towhich the induction pipe would be connected, is provided in the cylinder3, which also contains an exhaust port 23. i

In Figure 1 the beginning of its in uction' stroke, while the istonvalve 5' is at a position so that the inlet port 6 is just commencing toopen, Figigure 9 is a similar view to Fi res 6 time gearing or sprocketchain- I iston 2 is shown at the t its relation to ports 22 and 23.

ing its return or compression stroke,

In Figure 6 the piston 2 is just commenchaving passed through an angleof 180 degrees, while the crank 10 will have travelled from the positionin Figure 1 to the position in Figure 6, i. e. an angle of 90 degrees,and during its movement the inlet port 6 will have remained fully open'and now having reached the positionin Figure 6 will have justclosed theinlet port 4. During the rotation of the crank 10 from the position inFigure 1 to the position in Figure 6, the piston valve will have anangle of 90 degrees, i. e from the position shown in 'full lines inFigure 2, to the position shown in dotted lines in the same figure.

In Figure 7, the piston 2 is shown at the end of its compression strokeor beginning of the firing stroke, while the crank 10 will have moveddownwardly as shown, the piston valve 5 making no rotation, or verylittle, during the downward movement from the position in Figure 6 tothe position in Figure 7. The exhausting port 7 has moved down to aposition opposite the port 4 but not open to such port, as shown inFigure 8.

In Figure 9, the piston has nearly reached the end of the explosionstroke, and the crank 10 will now have rotated the valve to a positionwhere the exhausting'port 7 is just beginning to open to the port 4. Thecrank 10 being in a position that the valve 5 has been rotated so thatthe exhaust port '8' will register with the port 4i and the exhaust port23, as shown in Figure 10.

From the position, Figure 9, to the end of the exhaust stroke, as shownin Figure 1, the valve will perform little rotary movement so that theexhaust port 23 will remain fully .opened while the valve returnsupwards thereby permitting the products of combustion to be fullyexhausted.

It will be noticed that the exhaust port is curved in one direction atone side of the valve and in the other direction on the other side ofthe valve. This is to allow of the slight turning movement which willoccur from the position in Figures 9 and 10 to the position in Figure 1,thus ensuring the port 7 register with the ports 4 and 23.

The valve is made hollow (see Figure 3) so that compression will nottake place in the space above the valve nor will a vacuum be createdtherein. In this case a boss 25 is connected to the walls of the valveby webs 26- and into this boss the stem 27 of the fork forming part ofthe universal joint 21 is threaded and secured by a lock nut 28. Thewalls of the valve cylinder 3 will be splashed with oil from the crankcase and will lubricate the piston valve 5 in the same way as the piston2 is lubricated and, since the valve is hollow, anyexcessof oil workingpast the valve will simply return through the valve to been rotatedthrough the crank case, and the valve is thereby constantly lubricated.

An inspection opening 29 (Fig. 12) is formed in the crank case and isclosed y a cover 30.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the enginecylinder, of a valve cylinder adjacent to said engine cylinder, andhaving in its wall an induction and exhaust opening affordingcommunication between said valve cylinder and the combustion chamber ofsaid engine cylinder, a reciprocating piston valve in said valvecylinder capable of rotation therein, and means for simultaneouslyimparting to said piston valve both a reciprocating and a rotarymovement, thereby causing said induction and exhaust openings to bealternately opened and closed to said combustion chamber.-

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the enginecylinder, of a valve cylinder, a reciprocating piston valve in saidvalve cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports adapted to register with acommon port leading to the combustion chamber in said engine cylinder,said piston valve being capable of a partial rotary movement, so as toclose said exhaust port to said common port during the compressionstroke of the engine, and means for so rotating said piston valve as tobring said exhaust port into register with said common port and maintainit open thereto during the exhaust stroke of the engine.

3. In the internal combustion engine as specified in claim 2, an inletport formed in the wall of said piston valve and extending around saidvalve so as to remain open to the induction port in the wall of saidvalve cylinder durin the rotary movement of said valve durin t einduction stroke of the engine, an ex iaust port formed through saidvalve arranged-so that during the compression stroke the walls of thevalve close both the common port and the exhaust port in the wall of theengine, but will open said exhaust port to the common port near the endof the firing stroke, and remain 0 en as the valve rises during theexhaust stro e.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the enginecylinder, of a valve cylinder adjacent to said engine cylindercontaining a port leading to the combustion chamber of said enginecylinder and an exhaust port, a piston valve in said valve cylinder,means for reciprocating said valve, and at the same time partiallyrotating said valve during one of its reciprocating strokes,-

said valve having an annular inlet port extending around the wall ofsaid valve, and an opening traversing said valve forming an exhaust portand of such shape that said exhaust port will register with the port tothe combustion chamber during the rotary movement of said valve andduring the exhaust stroke of the engine.

5. The combination as specified 'in claim 2, in which the means forreciprocating and partially rotating said piston valve comprises inconnection with the engine sham, a rotatable shaft, a gearing betweensaid snufand said engine shaft for rotating said shaft at half the speedof said engine shaft, a, por- 10 tion of said shaft being set at anangle, a connecting rod having universal pivotal contact with saidportion, and a universal joint connecting the other end of saidconnecting rod to said valve piston.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. 1

LAWRENCE GORDON GRACE.

